“This verse is rightly regarded as one of the most difficult in the Bible” (Delcor, page 372). “As it stands in the Masoretic Text, this verse is wholly unintelligible. Modern interpreters have for the most part abandoned it as hopeless and many declare the recovery of the original text impossible” (J. M. P. Smith, page 294). For a full discussion of the textual difficulties, translators are referred to the standard commentaries such as those cited in this paragraph.
A literal translation of the Hebrew text as it stands is given in Revised Version: “For though they be like tangled thorns, and be drenched as it were in their drink, they shall be devoured utterly as dry stubble (or, as stubble fully dry).”
The basic problem in this verse is that the two words translated “and be drenched as it were in their drink” have no apparent connection with the rest of the verse. In Hebrew these two words are quite similar in sound to the previous two words, translated “tangled thorns” in Revised Version. The majority of commentators and translators conclude that the two problem words are most likely a muddled repetition of the earlier words and should therefore be dropped from the text. This opinion is followed by Revised Standard Version, Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Moffatt, and earlier editions of Good News Translation which omit the word “drunkards” in the text as quoted above. The problem words are retained by Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and later editions of Good News Translation (compare Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). Revised Standard Version, Bible de Jérusalem, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and Bible en français courant all have footnotes acknowledging the difficulty.
Those versions which retain the two problem words have to decide how to make sense of them. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible places a dash before and after them to separate them from the rest of the verse. New International Version renders “They will be entangled among thorns and drunk from their wine; they will be consumed like dry stubble.” Thus it apparently ignores the lack of meaningful connection between the three clauses (compare New Jerusalem Bible). Bible en français courant says “They are like tangled thorns, those who drink till they are drunk.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “They can drink to gain courage as much as they like.” These renderings make sense in themselves but do not establish any real connection between drinking and the rest of the paragraph.
Translators are recommended to follow the example of Revised Standard Version and others and omit the problem words. This advice cannot be offered as a solution to the problems. Rather it is offered in this case as the course of action which will do most to make the verse intelligible.
Once the two problem words are omitted, the rest of the verse makes reasonable sense, and its parts have parallels elsewhere in the Old Testament. Revised Standard Version translates Like entangled thorns they are consumed, like dry stubble. The picture is of fire spreading over fields in dry weather. Just as fire destroys dry thorn bushes or the stubble that is left when a field of grain has been harvested, so the LORD will destroy his enemies. Good News Translation changes the third person verb to second person to make it clear that it regards this verse as referring to the people of Nineveh, called “you” in verse 9. Good News Translation then expresses the meaning in simple English as “Like tangled thorns and dry straw you drunkards will be burned up!” The LORD’s enemies are compared to thorns in 2 Samuel 23.6; Isaiah 10.17; 33.12; Micah 7.4; and to stubble in Isaiah 5.24; 33.11; 47.14; Obadiah 18. In languages which do not use the passive, the expression they are consumed (“you … will be burned up”) can be rendered as “the fire will burn you up.” But in some languages it will be necessary to restructure this verse and say “The fire will burn you up just as it burns tangled thorns and dry straw.”
Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A . A Handbook on the Book of Nahum. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .